Apparatus and method for maintaining cooked food in a ready-to-serve condition using a freestanding cover for food trays

ABSTRACT

A freestanding cover for a food tray has a flange section and a support section extending downwardly from the flange section. The support section supports the cover independently of the tray, with the flange section positioned above the tray opening. The freestanding cover is inserted into a heated compartment in a food warming cabinet and is supported on a retaining mechanism positioned on the shelf of the food warming cabinet. The retaining mechanism, in the form of a wire rack, prevents the cover from moving forward or backward. With the cover retained by the wire rack, a tray containing previously cooked food portions may be inserted into and removed from a receiving space in the cover, leaving the cover inside of the compartment.

[0001] This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/515,166, filed on Feb. 29, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to the field of food preparation. Moreparticularly, this invention relates to an apparatus and method formaintaining in a ready-to-serve condition cooked food portions containedin a food tray, wherein a freestanding cover is used to cover the foodtrays.

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] In many establishments, such as fast food restaurants, certainfood items are cooked well in advance of when they are ordered by orserved to the customer. Examples of such food items can include sandwichfillings, such as cooked eggs, hamburger patties, breaded foods, such aschicken nuggets, or baked goods, such as muffins. These previouslycooked food items are often maintained in a ready-to-use orready-to-serve condition until they are served to the customer. Thistypically involves maintaining the previously cooked food items at aserving temperature in the range of from about 145° F. to about 200° F.,depending on the food item.

[0006] Various food warming apparatus have been developed to maintainpreviously cooked food items at a desired serving temperature. Such foodwarming apparatus are sometimes referred to as staging cabinets, holdingcabinets, or warming cabinets. One of the challenges associated withfood warming apparatus is being able to preserve the flavor, appearance,and texture of the previously cooked food items while they are beingmaintained at the desired serving temperature. In particular, certaintypes of food items, such as cooked eggs and hamburger patties have atendency to dry out undesirably then they are kept warm for extendedperiods of time. Other types of food items, such as fried foods, have atendency to become undesirably soggy when they are kept warm forextended periods of time.

[0007] One commonly used way to protect previously cooked food items forwhich drying out is a concern, is to place the food items in acontainer, such as a tray, and to provide a cover for the container. Thecover restricts evaporation of moisture from the previously cooked fooditems. With a reduced amount of moisture vapor being able to escape fromthe covered container, the previously cooked food items containedtherein do not dry out as rapidly.

[0008] Conventional covers are inconvenient to use in food fastrestaurants and similar establishments. This is because when previouslycooked food portions are taken from the food warming apparatus, thecover typically must be removed from the tray to gain access to the fooditems contained therein, and must be replaced to protect the remainingfood portions contained in the tray. The steps of removing and replacinga cover can take an amount of time that is unacceptably large in fastfood restaurants. The removed cover can become misplaced or contaminatedand can get in the way of other activities in the kitchen area.

[0009] Food warming apparatus that do not require a separate cover thefood trays have also been developed. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos.5,783,803 and 5,900,173 to Robards disclose a food warming apparatus inwhich a grate supports the food trays in a warming cavity. A seal isoperatively associated between the top of the tray and the ceiling ofthe cavity. The grate includes a biasing portion that biases the trayupwardly so that it seals against the ceiling. The advantage ofproviding a seal in this manner is that evaporation of liquid frompreviously cooked food portions contained in the trays is greatlyreduced. A disadvantage with this approach, however, is that thecomponents required to provide the seal can be costly, complex, ordifficult to clean.

[0010] A modification of this approach has been used in which the gratebiases the food tray towards the ceiling of the warming cavity such thatthe lip of the tray touches, or nearly touches, the ceiling withoutnecessarily forming a seal. It has been that evaporation is sufficientlyrestricted in this configuration, even though no seal is formed.

[0011] Another approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,724,886 and5,947,012 to Ewald, et al. These patents disclose a food staging devicehaving a plurality of compartments, with each compartment bounded by anupper heated compartment surface and a lower heated compartment surface.The trays containing previously cooked food portions are sized such thatthe top edges are within zero to 0.25 inches from the upper heatedcompartment surface. This zero to 0.25 inch distance is said to besufficient to restrict evaporation of liquid form the food portionscontained in the trays.

[0012] A disadvantage with the approach disclosed in these patents isthat once the distance between the upper and lower compartment surfacesis set, a tray within a particular size range must be provided in orderfor its top edge to be within zero to 0.25 inches from the uppercompartment surface. Another disadvantage with this approach is that forpreviously cooked food items for which sogginess is a concern, aircirculation should be encouraged, rather than restricted. Accordingly,these patents disclose that different trays may be used, depending onwhether the previously cooked food portions tend to dry out or tend tobecome soggy.

[0013] Moreover, a disadvantage with the general approach of bringingthe food tray close to the heated cavity ceiling or heated uppercompartment surface is that the heated surface transmits heatradiatively into the food tray. This radiant heat can affect the flavor,appearance, and texture of food items located near the top of the tray,even though evaporation from the tray is restricted.

[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,967 to Fortmann, et al., discloses yetanother a food warming apparatus comprising a frame having first andsecond walls. At least one of the first and second walls is movablerelative to the other in order to vary the spacing between them. Trayscontaining previously cooked food items are placed between the first andsecond walls, so that the first wall bears the tray, and the second wallat least partially blocks the open top of the tray. A disadvantage withthis approach, however, is that the moving parts required to provide themovable wall can be difficult to maintain. Another disadvantage with theapproach is that it does not easily allow trays of different sizes to beplaced in the same compartment.

[0015] Accordingly, what is needed is a food warming apparatus that hasthe flexibility to be able to maintain in a ready to use condition bothcooked food items that tend to dry out and cooked food items that tendto become soggy, and to use trays of various sizes, as may be needed tomeet the rapidly changing demands that can occur in fast foodrestaurants or similar establishments. The food warming apparatus shouldalso be inexpensive to construct, and easy to use and to maintain.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0016] In a first principal aspect, the present invention provides afreestanding cover for a tray, which has a tray lip defining a trayopening. The freestanding cover comprises a flange section, a supportsection, and a retainer section. The support section is able to supportthe cover on a shelf independently of the tray. The flange section isgenerally positioned above the support section, and is also above thetray opening when the cover is placed over the tray. The retainersection is able to engage the shelf, such as when the cover is used in afood warming cabinet.

[0017] In a second principal aspect, the present invention provides acovered tray for holding previously cooked food portions in a ready touse condition. The covered tray comprises a tray and a freestandingcover. The tray has tray sidewalls and a tray lip defining a trayopening. The tray is able to contain the previously cooked foodportions. The freestanding cover has a flange section and a supportsection. The support section supports the cover independently of thetray, such that at least a part of the flange section is positionedabove the tray opening.

[0018] In a third principal aspect, the present invention provides afood warming apparatus for maintaining previously cooked food portionsin a ready to use condition. The food warming apparatus comprises acabinet, having a heated compartment therein and at least an open frontside providing access to the heated compartment. In particularlypreferred forms, the cabinet may have open front and open back sidesproviding access to the heated compartment. The heated compartment hasan upper compartment surface and a lower compartment surface. A coveredtray is disposed in the heated compartment. The covered tray comprises atray and a freestanding cover. The tray, which has a tray lip defining atray opening, is able to hold the previously cooked food portions. Thefreestanding cover has a flange section and a support section. Thesupport section supports the cover independently of the tray, such thatat least a portion of the flange section is positioned above the trayopening.

[0019] In a fourth principal aspect, the present invention provides amethod for maintaining previously cooked food portions in a ready to usecondition in a food warming apparatus. The food warming apparatuscomprises a cabinet having a heated compartment that has an uppercompartment surface and a lower compartment surface. The previouslycooked food portions are placed in a tray having a tray lip defining atray opening. The tray is inserted into a receiving space defined by afreestanding cover disposed in the heated compartment. The cover has aflange section and a support section extending downwardly from theflange section. The support section substantially defines the receivinga space, and at least a portion of the flange section is positionedabove the receiving space.

[0020] In a fifth principal aspect, the present invention provides afreestanding cover for a tray, which has a tray lip defining a trayopening. The freestanding cover comprises a flange section and a supportsection. The support section is able to support the cover on a shelfindependently of the tray. The flange section is generally positionedabove the support section, and is also above the tray opening when thecover is placed over the tray. The support section cooperates with aretaining mechanism positioned on the shelf of a food warming apparatusthat cooperates with the cover to retain the cover within the foodwarming apparatus independently of the tray.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021]FIG. 1 is a partially cut away front plan view of a food warmingcabinet, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0022]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tray being inserted into acompartment of the food warming cabinet of FIG. 1, with a freestandingcover therein, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0023]FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the compartment of the food warmingcabinet of FIG. 1, with the tray and freestanding cover of FIG. 2 showntherein, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0024]FIG. 4 is a side plan view of the compartment of the food warmingcabinet of FIG. 1, with the tray and freestanding cover of FIG. 2 showntherein, but with the right sidewall of the freestanding cover cut away,in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0025]FIG. 5 is a front plan view of the compartment of the food warmingcabinet of FIG. 1, with the freestanding cover of FIG. 2 shown therein,in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0026]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the freestanding cover insideof the compartment, taken along line A-A, as shown in FIG. 5, inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0027]FIG. 7 is a front plan view of the compartment of the food warmingcabinet of FIG. 1, with the tray and freestanding cover of FIG. 2 showntherein, but with the freestanding cover in an inverted orientation, inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0028]FIG. 8 is a side plan view of the freestanding cover inside of thecompartment, as shown in FIG. 7, but with the left sidewall of thefreestanding cover cut away, in accordance with a preferred embodimentof the present invention.

[0029]FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a tray being inserted into acompartment of the food warming cabinet of FIG. 1, with a freestandingcover therein, in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0030]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 9, withthe upper compartment surface cut away and the trays placed within thecavities defined by the wire rack.

[0031]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a tray being inserted into acompartment of the food warming cabinet of FIG. 1, with a freestandingcover therein, in accordance with another alternate embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] With reference to FIG. 1, a food warming cabinet 10 has a housing11. Housing 11 has a top wall 12, a bottom wall 14, a left side wall 16,a right side wall 18, and an open front side 20. Preferably, housing 11also has an open rear side 21, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. However, therear side of housing 11 may also be closed.

[0033] A middle shelf 22 and a bottom shelf 23 are mounted in cabinet10. Middle shelf 22 divides the space within cabinet 10 so as to definea first compartment 24 above it and a second compartment 26 below it.Although cabinet 10 is shown in FIG. 1 with two compartments forillustration, cabinet 10 can include a greater or fewer number ofcompartments. Shelves 22 and 23 are able to support one or morepreviously cooked food items or containers filled with previously cookedfood items.

[0034] Preferably, shelves 22 and 23 are substantially imperforate, havesubstantially smooth and horizontal surfaces thereon, and extend fromthe left side to the right side of each compartment. However, as usedherein, the term “shelf” encompasses other structures that are able tosupport objects, such as containers or food items, inside of acompartment. Thus, shelves 22 and 23 may have openings definedtherethrough, may have non-uniform or non-horizontal surfaces thereon,and may have surfaces of varying height thereon. Shelves 22 and 23 mayalso include various support structures, such as spacers, risers, rails,or grates that support one or more food items or one or more foodcontainers. Finally, shelves 22 and 23 may be mounted on only one sideof cabinet 10 so as to extend into only part of the compartments.

[0035] First compartment 24 has a first upper compartment surface 28 anda first lower compartment surface 30. Lower compartment surface 30 isdefined by one surface of shelf 22. Second compartment 26 has a secondupper compartment surface 32 and a second lower compartment surface 34.Second upper compartment surface 32 is defined by a second surface ofshelf 22, and second lower compartment surface 34 is defined by onesurface of shelf 23. Preferably, compartment surfaces 28, 30, 32, and 34are substantially uniform and horizontal. However, surfaces 28-34 may benon-uniform and may include non-horizontal sections. Accordingly,different sections of surfaces 28-34 may be positioned at differentheights in cabinet 10.

[0036] One or more heaters are mounted in cabinet 10 for heating firstcompartment 24 and second compartment 26. Preferably, a first heater 36is mounted within shelf 22 to heat first lower compartment surface 30,and a second heater 38 is mounted within shelf 23 to heat second lowercompartment surface 34. Most preferably, a third heater 40 is alsomounted in cabinet 10 to heat first upper compartment surface 28, and afourth heater 42 is mounted within shelf 22 to heat second uppercompartment surface 32. Heaters 36-42 are preferably electricalresistance heaters. Surfaces 28-34 are preferably adjacent to heaters36-42, respectively, and are preferably made out of a high thermalconductivity material, such as aluminum for efficient and uniformheating.

[0037] In this way, first upper compartment surface 28 and first lowercompartment surface 30 effectively heat first compartment 24; and secondupper compartment surface 32 and second lower compartment surface 34effectively heat second compartment 26. Preferably, heaters 36-42 can beseparately controlled, to allow compartments 24 and 26 to operate atdifferent temperatures and to allow the upper and lower surfaces of eachcompartment to operate at different temperatures. Food warming cabinet10 is provided with a control panel 44 to allow the user to control thetemperatures set by heaters 32-42.

[0038] First compartment 24 and second compartment 26 are heated inorder to maintain a proper temperature of any previously cooked portionsuntil they are ready for use. The previously cooked food portions areplaced in trays that may be inserted into and removed from compartments24 and 26. Compartments 24 and 26 may accommodate more than one tray ata time, depending on the size of the trays.

[0039] Trays that hold food items for which drying out is a concernwould be used with an individual freestanding cover, as described below,in order to limit evaporation from the food items therein while beingstored in food warming cabinet 10. However, covers would not be usedwith trays that hold food items having a tendency to become soggy.

[0040] FIGS. 2-6 show how a representative tray 50 and freestandingcover 52 would be placed in first compartment 24. The placement of tray50 and cover 52 in second compartment 26 would be similar.

[0041] With reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, tray 50 includes a pair ofopposing long sidewalls 54 and a pair of opposing short sidewalls 56.Sidewalls 54 and 56 extend upwardly from a bottom wall 58 to a lip 60that encircles a tray opening 62. Tray may also be provided with ahandle in front, in back, or in both front and back.

[0042] As best shown in FIGS. 3-6, freestanding cover 52 has a flangesection 68 that includes a flange surface 69 encircling a raised section70. Raised section 70 has a top wall 72 and defines a semi-enclosedupper space 73 above flange surface 69. A plurality of protrusions 74extend upwardly from top wall 72.

[0043] Although flange section 68 preferably has upper space 73 definedtherein, flange section 68 may be differently configured. For example,flange section 68 may simply be a substantially flat surface. Ingeneral, however, flange section will be substantially imperforate andsized so as to at least partially block tray opening 62.

[0044] Cover 52 also has a support section 77 that supports flangesection 68. Support section 77 preferably includes a left bent section78 connected to the left side of flange section 68, a right bent section80 connected to the right side of flange section 68, a left sidewall 82extending downwardly from left bent section 78, and a right sidewall 84extending downwardly from right bent section 80. Other configurationsfor support section 77 are possible. For example, support section 77 maybe provided as four legs (not shown). Sidewalls 82 and 84 extenddownwardly to terminating edges 85 and 86, respectively. Portions ofterminating edges and 85 and 86 define a supporting edge 87. Supportingedge 87 is able to support cover 52 on shelf 22. In this way, cover 52is freestanding, in that it is able to stand on its own on shelf 22,supported by supporting edge 87. More particularly, freestanding cover52 need not be supported on a tray, such as tray 50.

[0045] Cover 52 has a front opening 88 and may also have a rear opening90. Sidewalls 82 and 84 define a receiving space 92 therebetween, suchthat receiving space 92 extends from front opening 88 to rear opening90. Receiving space 90 is sized to accommodate tray 52, and openings 88and 90 are sized to allow tray 52 to be inserted into and removed fromreceiving space 92.

[0046] Cover 52 also has a retainer section for selectively engagingshelf 22. In a preferred embodiment, cover 52 has a pair of frontretaining tabs 94 and a pair of rear retaining tabs 95 extending belowthe level of supporting edge 87. Retaining tabs 94 and 95 are preferablyintegral to sidewalls 82 and 84. To engage shelf 22, front retainingtabs 94 are positioned in front of a front edge 96 of shelf 22, and rearretaining tabs 94 are positioned behind a rear edge 97 of shelf 22. Inthis way, front retaining tabs 94 engage front edge 96 to prevent cover52 from moving backwards, and rear retaining tabs 95 engage rear edge 97to prevent cover from moving forward. Although the retainer section ofcover 52 is preferably provided as retaining tabs 94 and 96, otherstructures could also be used to engage shelf 22, depending on thestructure of shelf 22.

[0047] Cover 52 is preferably made out of a plastic sheet material thatis rigid enough for cover 52 to be self-supporting but flexible enoughthat parts of cover 52 can be flexed by the user, as described below.Preferably, the plastic sheet is an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene(ABS) material, with a thickness of about {fraction (1/16)} of an inch.

[0048] If tray 50 contains food portions for which drying out is aconcern, then tray 50 is used with cover 52. Normally, cover 52 isplaced inside compartment 24 before tray 50 is inserted into the foodwarming apparatus, as best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. With cover 52 insideof compartment 24, supporting edge 87 rests upon lower compartmentsurface 30, and protrusions 74 contact upper compartment surface 28. Inthis way, cover 52 is unable to move upwardly or downwardly withincompartment 24. Additionally, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, frontretaining tabs 94 engage front edge 96 of shelf 22 and rear retainingtabs 95 engage rear edge 97 of shelf 22 to prevent cover 52 from movingforward or backward within compartment 24.

[0049] However, cover 52 is sufficiently flexible to allow retainingtabs 94 and 95 to be disengaged from shelf 22. For example, sidewalls 84and 86 may be flexed inwardly, as shown by the dashed lines in FIG. 5,so that front retaining tabs 88 clear lower compartment surface 30. Rearretaining tabs 95 may be disengaged from shelf 22 by similar flexing ofsidewalls 84 and 86. Alternatively, sidewalls 84 and 86 may be flexedoutwardly, or tabs 94 and 95 may be bent either inwardly or outwardly todisengage tabs 94 and 95. With either front tabs 94 or rear tabs 95disengaged from shelf 22, cover 52 can be removed from compartment 24.Tabs 94 or 95 are similarly positioned to clear lower compartmentsurface 30 in order to insert cover 52 into compartment 24.

[0050] With cover 52 in place in compartment 24, tray 50, withpreviously cooked food items contained therein, may be inserted throughfront opening 88 of cover 52 to be received into receiving space 92, asshown in FIG. 2. As tray 50 is inserted into compartment 24, its bottomwall 58 is supported by lower compartment surface 30, and tray lip 60slides under flange section 68 of cover 52. Preferably, the distancebetween supporting edge 87 and flange surface 69 of cover 52 issubstantially the same as the distance between the underside of bottomwall 58 and the uppermost surface of lip 60 of tray 50. Thus, flangesurface 69 of cover 52 is preferably substantially flush with lip 60 oftray 50 when tray 50 is slid under cover 52. Front retaining tabs 94prevent cover 52 from being pushed backward while tray 50 is beinginserted into compartment 24.

[0051] Although FIG. 2 shows tray 50 being inserted into compartment 24from the front, if compartment 24 is open in the back, as is preferred,then tray 50 may also be inserted into compartment 24 from the back.Tray 52 would simply be inserted into receiving space 92 through rearopening 90. In the case that compartment 24 is open in both the frontand the back, cover 52 preferably includes means to locate tray 50 withrespect to the front and back of compartment 24, i.e., to prevent tray50 from being inserted too far into compartment 24. For example, cover52 may be provided with flexible tabs or protrusions (not shown) thatengage tray 50 while it is being inserted from either the front or theback, but which cease engagement when tray 50 is in the fully insertedposition. In this way, the user inserting tray 50 into compartment 24can feel when tray 50 is properly positioned within compartment 24.

[0052]FIG. 3 is a front view of tray 50 fully inserted into compartment24 with cover 52 in place. In this position, bottom wall 58 of tray 50rests upon lower compartment surface 30, and the upper surface of tray50, which is maximally defined by lip 60, is preferably about one inchfrom upper compartment surface 28 and about ¾ of an inch from theunderside of top wall 72. Moreover, support section 77 of cover 52positions flange section 68 with respect to tray 50 such that flangesurface 69 is substantially flush with lip 60. In this way, tray 50 andcover 52 together define an enclosed space that contains the previouslycooked food items. With the food items in this enclosed space, aircirculation is prevented and the food items can be kept longer in foodwarming cabinet 10 without drying out. Alternatively, instead of flangesurface 69 being substantially flush with tray lip 60, evaporation fromtray 50 may be sufficiently restricted simply by having flange sectionblock at least a portion of tray opening 62.

[0053] Cover 52 also reduces the amount of heat radiation from heatedupper compartment surface 28 reaching the previously cooked food itemsin tray 50. The reduction of radiant heat reaching these previouslycooked food items further preserves the maintenance of their flavor,color, and texture during storing in food warming cabinet 10.

[0054] After tray 50 has been inserted into compartment 24, it can bepulled out through the open front of compartment 24. If compartment 24is also open in the back, as shown in FIG. 4, then tray 50 may also beremoved from the back of compartment 24. Retaining tabs 94 and 95prevent cover 52 from being pulled out of compartment 24 when tray 50 isremoved from open front side 20 or open rear side 21 of housing 11. As aresult, when tray 50 is removed, cover 52 remains within compartment 24.However, cover 52 may also be easily removed from compartment 24 bydisengaging either front retaining tabs 94 or rear retaining tabs 95from shelf 22, as described above.

[0055] In the case that tray 50 contains previously cooked food portionsthat tend to become soggy, then cover 52 need not be used. With cover 52omitted, tray opening 62 is unblocked when tray 50 is within compartment24. Preferably, the upper surface of lip 60 is positioned about one inchbelow upper compartment surface 28. In this configuration, moisture fromthe previously cooked food items in tray 50 can easily escape, with theresult that the food items can be kept in the food warming apparatus forextended periods of time without becoming soggy.

[0056] Alternatively, cover 52 may be used as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 tobetter position tray 50 in compartment 24 when tray contains food itemsfor which sogginess is a concern. In particular, cover 52 is placed incompartment 24 in an inverted orientation, with protrusions 74supporting cover 52 on lower compartment surface 30 and supporting edge87 contacting upper compartment surface 28. Front retaining tabs 94engage a front edge 98 of upper compartment surface 28 to prevent cover52 from moving backward in compartment 24, and rear retaining tabs 95engage a rear edge 99 of upper compartment surface 28 to prevent cover52 from moving forwards in compartment 24. In this inverted orientation,cover 52 is able to receive tray 50 within upper space 73 so that bottomwall 58 of tray 50 is supported on top wall 72 of cover 52. Tray lip 62is then far enough away from upper surface 28 that moisture can easilyescape from within tray 50.

[0057] Supporting tray 50 in this manner provides two importantadvantages. First, because tray 50 is located within upper space 73, itis less likely to slip out of compartment 24 than if it is resting onlower compartment surface 30. Second, with cover 52 positioned incompartment 24 in the inverted orientation, the user inserts tray 50into receiving space 92 by first sliding bottom wall 58 along flangesurface 69. However, as tray 50 becomes fully inserted into compartment24, bottom wall 58 will no longer be supported by flange surface 69, andtray 52 will tend to lower itself into upper space 73. Thus, a userinserting tray 50 into compartment 24 will be able to tell when tray 50is fully inserted in compartment 24.

[0058] In this way, food warming cabinet 10 is able to maintainpreviously cooked food portions in a ready-to-use or ready-to-servecondition, whether the cooked food portions tend to dry out or tend tobecome soggy. Tray 50 is simply used with or without cover 52, or withcover 52 in a regular or an inverted orientation, depending on the typeof food items contained therein. Thus, a fast food restaurant is able touse the same type of tray for both types of previously cooked fooditems. On the other hand, trays of different sizes may also be usedwithin food warming cabinet 10. The differently sized trays would simplybe provided with differently sized covers.

[0059] As depicted in FIGS. 9 and 10, an alternate embodiment of thecover 152 includes a flange section 168 and a support section 177. Thesupport section 177 preferably includes a left bent section 178connected to the left side of flange section 168 and a right bentsection 180 connected to the right side of flange section 168. First andsecond left support legs 182 a, 182 b extend from the left bent section178 while first and second right support legs 184 a, 184 b extend fromthe right bent section 180. The support legs 182 a, 182 b and 184 a, 184b extend downwardly to terminal edges 185 a, 185 b and 186 a, 186 b,respectively. The terminal edges function to support the cover 152 on aretaining mechanism, which will be discussed in detail below.

[0060] As can be seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, the flange section 168 includesa lip or ridge 200 adjacent the front opening 88 and a lip or ridge 202adjacent the rear opening 90. The front lip 200 and the rear lip 202cooperate with the tray opening 62 of the tray 152 to define an enclosedspace that contains the previously cooked items. Besides the presence ofthe support legs and the front and rear lips, the remaining features ofcover 152 are identical to those of cover 52.

[0061] The cover 152 is preferably injection molded using polyethylcellfoam. However, other equivalent materials may be used in injectionmolding the cover. Due to the support legs of cover 152, less materialis used during its manufacture, as compared to the manufacture of cover52.

[0062] As can be best seen in FIG. 10, a retaining mechanism ispositioned on shelf 22. In a preferred embodiment, the retainingmechanism comprises a wire rack 194. The rack 194 includes a rectangularframe 204 having two front frame members 206, 208, two rear framemembers 210, 212, and two side frame members 214, 216 extendingtherebetween. The rack 194 further includes a plurality of channelmembers 218 spaced equally along the frame 204 from one another andextending transversely from the front of the frame to the rear of theframe. The channel members 218 of the rack 194 define cavities 220 inthe wire rack 194 in which trays may be accommodated.

[0063] Each channel member 218 includes a front edge 222, a rear edge224, and two side members 226, 228 extending therebetween, therebydefining a channel 230 in which the support legs of the cover 152 may beaccommodated. Each side member 226, 228 includes a raised section 226 a,228 a along its mid-section. These raised sections assist in theinsertion of the trays 50 into the cavities 220 as well as preventundesired movement of the covers on the wire rack. Although the wirerack 194 is constructed of steel, other equivalent materials may also beutilized.

[0064] In use, the wire rack 194 is positioned on the shelf 22 of thefood warming apparatus. The cover 152 is then placed on the wire rack194. Specifically, the terminal edges 185 a, 185 b and 186 a, 186 b areplaced within channels 230 and supported by the front frame members 206,208 and the rear frame members 210, 212, respectively. In this way,cover 152 is freestanding and need not be supported on a tray, such astray 50.

[0065] With cover 152 in place in compartment 24, tray 50, withpreviously cooked food items contained therein, may be inserted throughfront opening 88 of cover 152 to be received into receiving space 92, asshown in FIG. 9. As tray 50 is inserted into compartment 24, the bottomwall 58 of the tray 50 slides over the front frame members 206, 208.Once the bottom wall 58 is slid past the front frame members 206, 208,the support legs 182 a, 182 b and 184 a, 184 b of cover 52 movedownwardly, into alignment with the channel members 218, and the tray 52falls into cavity 220 where it is supported by lower compartment surface30. Thus, the wire rack 194 assists in the placement of the tray 50within its respective cavity. Further, the interaction of the cover 52with the wire rack 194 provides a tactile indication that the tray 50has been placed within the cavity 220.

[0066] Once tray 50 has been inserted into the compartment 24 and thecover 152 rests on the wire rack 194, the front lip 200 and the rear lip202 of the cover 152 engage the tray opening 62 of tray 50, therebyproviding a further seal. Thus, the contents of the tray are furtherprotected against drying out.

[0067] Although the embodiment of FIGS. 9-10 has been described in usewith tray 152, tray 252 could alternately be used in its place. Tray 252is similar to tray 152, with the difference being that it has solidsidewalls 282, 284. Thus, rather than the support legs 182 a, 182 b, 184a, and 184 b being placed within channel members 218, the supportingedges 287 of cover 252 are accommodated within the channel members 218.Such an embodiment is depicted in FIG. 11.

[0068] While certain features and embodiments of the present inventionhave been described in detail herein, it is to be understood that theinvention encompasses all modifications and enhancements within thescope and spirit of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A food warming apparatus for maintainingpreviously cooked food portions in a ready to use condition, said foodwarming apparatus comprising in combination: a cabinet having a heatedcompartment therein and further having at least an open front sideproviding access to said heated compartment, said heated compartmenthaving an upper compartment surface and a lower compartment surface; anda covered tray disposed in said heated compartment, said covered traycomprising: a tray for holding said previously cooked food portions,said tray having a tray lip defining a tray opening, and a freestandingcover having a flange section and a support section, said supportsection supporting said cover independently of said tray, such that atleast a portion of said flange section is positioned above said trayopening.
 2. The food warming apparatus of claim 1, wherein said flangesection blocks at least a portion of said tray opening so as to restrictevaporation of liquid from said previously cooked food portions whensaid previously cooked food items are held in said tray.
 3. The foodwarming apparatus of claim 2, wherein said flange section has a flangesurface, said flange surface being substantially flush with said traylip.
 4. The food warming apparatus of claim 3, wherein said flangesection has a raised section extending upwardly from said flangesurface, said raised section defining an upper space above said flangesurface.
 5. The food warming apparatus of claim 4, wherein said flangesurface encircles said raised section.
 6. The food warming apparatus ofclaim 4, wherein said flange section has an uppermost surface defined byat least one protrusion formed in said raised section, said at least oneprotrusion contacting said upper compartment surface.
 7. The foodwarming apparatus of claim 1, wherein said support section comprises aleft bent section connected to said flange section and a right bentsection connected to said flange section.
 8. The food warming apparatusof claim 7, wherein said left and right bent sections defining areceiving space therebetween.
 9. The food warming apparatus of claim 7,wherein first and second left support legs each extends downwardly fromthe left bent section to terminate at left terminal edges, and first andsecond right support legs each extend downwardly from said right bentsection to terminate at right terminal edges.
 10. The food warmingapparatus of claim 1, wherein the flange section includes a front lipand a rear lip, the rear lip being opposite the front lip.
 11. The foodwarming apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a retaining mechanismpositioned on the lower compartment surface for retaining the coveredtray within the compartment.
 12. The food warming apparatus of claim 11,wherein the retaining mechanism comprises a wire rack that includes arectangular frame and a plurality of channel members spaced equallyalong the frame from one another and extending transversely from one endof the frame to the opposite end of the frame.
 13. The food warmingapparatus of claim 12, wherein the channel members define cavitieswithin the rack for accommodating covered trays.
 14. The food warmingapparatus of claim 12, wherein each channel member includes a frontedge, a rear edge, and two side members extending therebetween, thechannel member defining a channel in which support edges of a cover maybe accommodated.
 15. A method for maintaining previously cooked foodportions in a ready to use condition in a food warming apparatuscomprising a cabinet having a heated compartment which has an uppercompartment surface and a lower compartment surface, said methodcomprising the steps of: placing said previously cooked food portions ina tray, said tray having a tray lip defining a tray opening; andinserting said tray into a receiving space defined by a freestandingcover, said cover being disposed in said heated compartment, said coverhaving a flange section and a support section extending downwardly fromsaid flange section, said support section substantially defining saidreceiving space, at least a portion of said flange section beingpositioned above said receiving space.
 16. The method of claim 15,further comprising the step of: positioning said tray in said receivingspace such that said flange section blocks said tray opening to restrictevaporation of liquid from said previously cooked food portions.
 17. Themethod of claim 16, wherein said flange section has a flange surface,and wherein said step of positioning said tray in said receiving spaceincludes the step of positioning said tray lip to be substantially flushwith said flange surface.
 18. The method of claim 15, wherein said coverdefines a front opening providing access to said receiving space, andwherein said step of inserting said tray into said receiving spaceincludes the step of inserting said tray into said receiving spacethrough said front opening.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein saidcover defines a rear opening providing access to said receiving space,and wherein said step of inserting said tray into said receiving spaceincludes the step of inserting said tray into said receiving spacethrough said rear opening.
 20. The method of claim 18, furthercomprising the step of removing said tray from said receiving spacethrough said front opening.
 21. The method of claim 19, furthercomprising the step of removing said tray from said receiving spacethrough said rear opening.
 22. The method of claim 15, furthercomprising the step of inserting a wire rack into said compartment andplacing it on the lower compartment surface.
 23. The method of claim 22,further comprising the step of inserting said cover into saidcompartment and into engagement with the wire rack.
 24. The method ofclaim 23, wherein the wire rack includes a rectangular frame and aplurality of channel members spaced equally along the frame from oneanother and extending transversely from one end of the frame to theopposite end of the frame, wherein the support section of the coverincludes a plurality of support legs, and wherein the step of insertingsaid cover into said compartment and into engagement with the wire rackincludes placing the support legs of the cover into the channel membersof the wire rack and supporting the legs on the rectangular frame of thewire rack.
 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the channel membersdefine cavities within the wire rack for accommodating trays, andwherein the step of inserting the tray into the receiving space includesplacing the tray into a cavity defined by the channel members.
 26. Themethod of claim 24, wherein the rectangular frame of the wire rackincludes at least one front frame member, and wherein the step ofinserting the tray into the receiving space includes sliding the trayover the front frame member.
 27. The method of claim 25, wherein thestep of inserting the tray into the receiving space includes providing atactile indication that the tray has been placed within the cavity. 28.The method of claim 27, wherein the step of providing a tactileindication includes sliding the tray over the wire rack and moving thetray downwardly into the cavity.
 29. The method of claim 26, wherein thecover includes a front lip and a rear lip, and further comprisingengaging the front lip and the rear lip of the cover with the trayopening, thereby providing a seal to restrict the evaporation of liquidfrom said previously cooked food portions.